Saturday, January 29, 2011

Well, well, well, the TSA has finally spoken on the Phillip Mocek trial. Wait! Stop the presses, that is not correct. TSA has repeated the allegations and conveniently ignored the fact that Mr. Mocek was found innocent of all charges.

Since I do not trust the TSA to leave the original posting intact, here is what they have to say:

A recent case - New Mexico v. Phillip Mocek - is making the news recently. The case stemmed from Mr. Mocek’s failure to cooperate with the instructions of Albuquerque police officers at the Albuquerque International Sunport Airport after interactions he had with TSA transportation security officers.

Mr. Mocek had a boarding pass, but would not produce ID when asked. As I've said before here on the blog, if you don’t have an ID, TSA will work with you to verify you are who you say you are. On the other hand, if you refuse to provide information, you will not be permitted to fly. This process had begun with Mr. Mocek, but was not completed. Without an ID that matches the individual holding the boarding pass, we can’t be sure the passenger has cleared government watchlists.

As far as photography, as I stated in a previous post, TSA does not prohibit photography at checkpoints as long as there is no interference with the screening process. As TSOs were talking to Mr. Mocek to verify his identity, he was holding a camera up to film them and appeared to be trying to film sensitive security information related to TSA standard operating procedures on ID verification. Such behavior interferes with the ordinary course of business at the checkpoint and may well delay other passengers.

We are grateful for the support provided to TSA by the Albuquerque police.

Blogger Bob

TSA Blog Team

Click on the link to post and read the comments as visitors severely take the TSA to task for their heavy-handed approach.

TSA’s very own sock puppet, someone who posts under the name TSA West jumped to his employer’s defense with this incredible bit of logic:

This case was not about TSA and Mr. Mocek, this case was between New Mexico and Mr. Mocek. The situation originated with TSA, but once the LEOs arrived, it became a situation between Mr. Mocek and New Mexico. This case has nothing to do with ID requirements (which have not changed at TSA, they remain exactly the same as they have been), or TSA policies (they have not changed either). Filming has been allowed (with the same exceptions that have been there for ages) at the checkpoint areas since before I came to TSA (6 years ago). For all of you trying to present that this was a case against TSA, nothing has changed, the same requirements are there. West TSA Blog Team

Nice try West, but the whole world knows that it was TSA that was on trial, even though the charges were brought by the Albuquerque PD and the local District Attorney.

It does serve to warn the American public that the police at airports are generally not to be trusted, and they have clearly bonded with the blue shirts in the TSAs, and will accept when they say without applying any critical thinking of their own. What this means is that you get the TSA mentality with a legitimate badge.

I’d love to see Mr. Mocek file charges for false arrest and defamation of character against the TSA agents at the airport that day, along with libel and defamation of character charges against the person posting under the name of Blogger Bob

Look what is happening in Egypt as people take to the streets to fight against government oppression. Janet Napolitano should be very, very afraid, as she presides over a government agency that acts in a similar manner.